


Friends We Have Buried

by yellowjelo



Series: U'Korih Tia [27]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Dreams and Nightmares, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, M/M, Male Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Mild Hurt/Comfort, Miqo'te Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Named Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Polyamorous Character, Polyamory, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:27:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25476106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yellowjelo/pseuds/yellowjelo
Summary: Kori has a nightmare.---It was dark. It's always dark. And it was wet. It's always wet. And it was cold. Of course, it was always cold.Snowflakes clung to Kori's eyelashes as he wrapped his arms around himself for warmth. He wasn't wearing armor. Why wasn't he wearing armor?His boots were soaked from crunching through the snow. His socks squelching inside them. Another shiver went up his spine.
Relationships: Aymeric de Borel/Warrior of Light, Aymeric de Borel/Warrior of Light/Thancred Waters, Warrior of Light/Thancred Waters
Series: U'Korih Tia [27]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1157714
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	Friends We Have Buried

"I just can't do this anymore," the shout rang out across the room and Kori stood from his seat, "I swear Thancred is cheating."

The living room table had cards strewn across it, which became even more scattered when Kori threw his current hand down in a fuss. The two had been in a heated match of Triple Triad with the current score at 5-0. 

"It's not cheating if it's natural talent," Thancred cooed and Aymeric chuckled from his seat in the corner. 

"Natural talent my ass," Kori reached over the table to grab at the cards in Thancred's hands, "Let me see your cards. Let me see them."

Thancred pulled the cards out of reach with a laugh, "Nah nah nah you're just terrible at this game. Aym make sure he never goes to the saucer alone."

"By my recollection the Gold Saucer is where he procured one of your favorite costumes for him. And he did that on his own," Aymeric said and Thancred gave him a very pointed glare.

Aymeric set down the book he was reading and placed it on a nearby table before standing and walking to his two bickering partners. He took a long look at the cards that Thancred was holding before humming and tutting. 

"Natural talent was it? Thancred can you roll up your sleeve for me?" 

Thancred squinted up at Aymeric but proceeded to push up the sleeve on his arm. As he did so, a rogue card fluttered out and onto the table. 

"Ha!!!" Kori grabbed the card and fluttered about the room holding it up high like a treasured prize, "I knew it! More like naturally talented at cheating!" 

"All that time you spent with the Sisters and you never learned about slipping a card up your sleeve?" Thancred leaned back in his seat. 

"We really didn't play cards much," Kori responded, “Mostly just rescued people in distress.”

"Oh really now," Thancred arched a brow, “Is that what the kids call it these days?”

"Shuddup," Kori plopped himself back down onto the couch, "I didn’t mean that!” 

"As interesting as Kori's past sexcapades are, it is getting late and I have to be in the office tomorrow," Aymeric said with a pointed yawn. 

"Mmm sleep is sounding good," Kori stretched out on the couch. 

Thancred nodded and poked at Kori to get him up off the couch, much to Kori’s dismay. 

The three cleaned up their card game and put the fire out in the living room before heading upstairs and preparing for bed. 

\---

It was dark. It's always dark. And it was wet. It's always wet. And it was cold. Of course, it was always cold. 

Snowflakes clung to Kori's eyelashes as he wrapped his arms around himself for warmth. He wasn't wearing armor. Why wasn't he wearing armor? 

His boots were soaked from crunching through the snow. His socks squelching inside them. Another shiver went up his spine. 

Where was he? Everything was dark. He held his hands out in front of his face but he couldn't see them. 

It was cold. So cold. 

He kept walking. That's all he could do. Keep walking. 

Voice. Whispers. Why were they always whispers? He strained his ears. Flicking them back and forth. What were they saying? For once he would like to hear them. 

Silence. Nothing. He knew what came next. It always came next. Why did he let it come next?

A flash of blue lit up his vision, illuminating the scene in front of him. 

White hair, chain link armor, a face frozen in time. Falling, falling, forever falling. The face looked at him and smiled. Why did it smile? 

His lips moved but no sounds were made. He took a step forward. Stupid. Stupid. He always takes a step forward...and falls. 

Falling. Falling. Now he's falling. 

It's warm here. In the new place. It's warm and it's friendly. 

The walls are stone, the floor is stone, all of it stone. 

He knows this place. He knows this hearth. He has been here before. 

Whispers. But not voices. Darkness. Darkness whispers and cries. 

He looks. Of course he looks. But he does not see the darkness. 

A flash of bright purple light blinds him. For a moment. 

And then a face. Frozen. Falling. A beautiful, strong face. Smart and witty. Robes flowing. A staff falling slowly. 

The face, it turns and it smiles. Why was it smiling?

He takes a step forward. Stupid. Stupid.

The floor rises up around him. The face is gone. He is falling.

Falling. Falling.

He’s never gotten this far before. A fear starts to pound in his chest. 

_ Wake up wake up _

But he wants to know what’s next.

It’s cold again. But he doesn’t feel the cold. 

It’s warm again. But he doesn’t feel the warmth. 

The walls are new. He’s seen them before. They’re closing in. Coming closer and closer. 

Life is like sand. Filtering. Falling. Running out of time.

The walls turn to sand. 

A scream. A sound of metal. Flesh. Wet. 

He reaches out. The door moves farther. 

He stretches out. The door is gone. 

He can see his hand. He looks down. His hand is not his. He has seen this hand before. 

Green light. Bright and joyful at his feet. 

He looks down. Down. Down. 

The body is small. Having fallen. Fallen. Fallen. The body is ethereal. Decaying. Distraught. 

Eyes. Eyes do not see him. It smiles. Smiles at him.

Why do they all smile?

He steps forward. Stupid. Stupid. 

He can’t breath. Darkness. He’s surrounded. Lungs. He’s drowning.

Voices. Whispers. Screams. Death. Decay. Blood. Darkness. Smiles. 

Smiles. 

Smiles….

Why do they all smile?

_ Wake up. Wake up.  _

Why do they still smile? 

_ Kori please. Wake up. Wake up.  _

His throat closes up. They smile. A hand reaches out. Smiles all smiles. 

A smile better suits a hero…

\----

Light floods into his eyes and he shoots upwards in the bed, gasping for air. The sheets are crumpled around his waist soaked in sweat, his hands clinging to them for dear life, the knuckles white. 

Kori blinks a few times trying to understand where he is. 

Tall, old, wooden four poster bed. The smell of a doused fire. The soft glow of a lamp flickering off a stone wall. Ishgard. Aymeric’s house. Their bed. 

A hand is placed on the small of his back and Kori jumps from the coolness of the skin against his own. 

“It’s okay, love, it’s just me,” A silky, soft voice flows over him and he relaxes into the touch. 

“You had us scared there for a moment,” another voice, rougher but warm, “You started to choke and we weren’t sure we would be able to wake you in time.” 

“I’m sorry,” Kori’s voice came out hoarsely, he must have been screaming as well, “Had a nightmare.”

He slowly lowered himself back down to the bed, nuzzling himself between his two lovers protecting embrace. 

“You don’t say,” Thancred mocked and Aymeric swatted at him, “Ow, it’s not the first time he’s woken from a nightmare.” 

“And it’s not likely to be the last,” Aymeric sighed and started stroking Kori’s long lilac locks, “Let’s just try and get some rest. We can discuss it in the morning.” 

Kori hummed as he closed his eyes.

By morning he wouldn’t remember the nightmare when confronted about it. Some part of him wanted to protect him from that. From the fears and the death. One day, in the future, when he is ready, he could think about the friends that he has buried. 

**Author's Note:**

> Follow Kori's adventured on instagram @ukorih.tia


End file.
